The question is a fair one. You won't have seen Butland on Match of the Day, or playing at any Premier League or Championship or even League One ground near you.

Even supporters of Birmingham City, the club who pay his wages and who have nurtured him through the academy, will only have seen him muddy his knees if they regularly attend reserve team or Under-18 fixtures.

But speak to the good people of Cheltenham and they will have nothing but praise for a player who has turned out on 24 occasions for them in two loan periods this season. Yes, Cheltenham Town. League Two Cheltenham Town. Where Butland's only first team club football has been played in his nascent career.

Despite the 19-year-old Butland's promise – and the FA are confident he will go on to become one of the finest goalkeepers the country has produced – there is understandable disquiet over one so young and inexperienced being called on after Ruddy's misfortune.

By way of comparison, two of Butland's opposite numbers who will most likely spend the summer in Poland and Ukraine kicking their heels as unused backup to the backup custodian include Spain's Pepe Reina and Holland's Tim Krul.

Joe Hart is one of Hodgson's few genuine world class players to call on, but the standard falls off pretty sharply, with Robert Green having spent last season in the Championship and Ben Foster and Paul Robinson 'retired' from national service. Scott Carson has had a reasonable season with Bursaspor in Turkey but has seemingly been sacrificed at the alter of long-term planning.

Butland has been involved with the England set up since 2008 when he made his debut for the Under-16 side in a Victory Shield game against Northern Ireland. Since then he has represented the country at every age group level and was part of the Under-17 squad which won the Uefa European Championships in Liechtenstein in May 2010.

In the same year, despite having yet to make a first team start for the club, he was voted 'Young Player of the Season' at St Andrews.

Further tournament experience was gleaned from travelling to Colombia for the Under-20 Fifa World Cup and prior to being placed on the reserve list for Euro 2012 he had become a regular member of Stuart Pearce's Under-21 squad.

"It'll be great for his experience and development, I don't think he would be fazed by it," Butland's manager Chris Hughton said.

"He's a mature lad, you can't get where he is at 19 as a goalkeeper without that maturity - obviously you've got to have the ability but you need that maturity and that he does have.

"It's a massive step up but the experience he'll gain working with Ray Clemence and Dave Watson and around the quality of players will be invaluable."

In one sense his experience at club level will stand him in better stead for this summer than any of his under-age competitions with England have. He has been limited to populating the bench at Birmingham, recalled as he was from his second loan spell of the season at Cheltenham for the final few games of this season when Birmingham's first-choice goalkeeper Boaz Myhill injured a thumb.

At 6ft 4in Butland is a commanding presence in his box and is an athletic, agile shot stopper of which much is expected in the future.

However, turning out for England at a major championship less than three months after picking the ball out of his own net following goals from Rotherham and Accrington Stanley would be some story. But one Hodgson and England's fans will be quietly hoping does not actually get written to its conclusion.

"I've played for England Under-21s, in the Under-20 World Cup and I've been part of the play-offs in the Championship," said Butland, before the news of today's inclusion in the full squad.

"But in terms of helping my career and getting me ready, going to Cheltenham Town was a massive experience."